Trivia for
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) More at IMDbPro »

• The title role was originally offered to Jack Palance, before it eventually went to Christopher Lee, the cousin of Ian Fleming who was known as the Man with the Golden Pen. (Fleming had previously offered Lee the title role in Dr. No (1962), the first James Bond movie.)
  
  
• Francisco Scaramanga is also known as "Pistols" Scaramanga and "Paco" (from the Spanish diminutive for Francisco) in the Ian Fleming novel, "The Man With Golden Gun". The Scaramanga character also appears in the video game GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (2004) (VG) in which Christopher Lee reprises his role and provides his voice. Scaramanga is also a playable character in the multi-player section of 007: Nightfire (2002) (VG).
  
  
• The idea of a "Golden Gun" in the James Bond universe predates both the 1965 novel and movie of The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). Ian Fleming's villain Auric Goldfinger in both the 1959 novel and then the movie Goldfinger (1964) brandished a golden pistol whilst disguised as a military major. Both Goldfinger and Scaramanga show their obsession with gold in their car licence numbers, which each contain the characters AU, the science chart name for gold.
  
  
• In the Ian Fleming James Bond novels, Mary Goodnight is a regular character like Miss Moneypenny. She is actually James Bond's secretary or personal assistant. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) is the only James Bond movie in which she appears. Britt Ekland auditioned for the role of Scaramanga's mistress, but landed the Goodnight role after posing in a bikini. Mary Goodnight drives a car of the model known as MG, the same initials as herself.
  
  
• The novel "The Man With The Golden Gun" was adapted as a comic strip in the Daily Express newspaper in England from 10 January to 10 September 1966. It was written by Jim Lawrence and illustrated by Yaroslav Horak and has been reprinted on more than one occasion.
  
  
• Marc Lawrence plays Rodney, the gangster who is shot by Scaramanga at the beginning of the movie. He also played a Las Vegas hood who works for Slumber Inc. in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). It is not clear whether or not they are intended to be the same character.
  
  
• A shot with a Golden Gun results in a certain one shot one kill in such James Bond video games as GoldenEye (1997) (VG), 007: Agent Under Fire (2001) (VG), 007: Nightfire (2002) (VG), GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (2004) (VG), James Bond 007: From Russia with Love (2005) (VG), James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing (2003) (VG) and The World Is Not Enough (2000) (VG). In the Nintendo 64 version of The World Is Not Enough (2000) (VG), the Golden Gun must be assembled from the cigarette case, fountain pen and cigarette lighter, as in this movie. Similary, a move with a Golden Revolver also results in a guaranteed kill in the video game Total Overdose: A Gunslinger's Tale in Mexico (2005) (VG). Moreover, in the video game Killer7 (2005) (VG), the hero can utilize a Golden Gun which will in one shot exterminate all of his adversaries. Neither Total Overdose: A Gunslinger's Tale in Mexico (2005) (VG)nor Killer7 (2005) (VG) are James Bond universe video games.
  
  
• The golden gun was manufactured by special effects wizard John Stears from a number of tobacco and men's accessories such as a cigarette case, fountain pen and cigarette lighter. During the 1950s, KGB agents were issued with miniature one shot .22 calibre guns compacted in cigarette cases .
  
  
• The energy crisis storyline was inspired by media stories of such current events of the time.
  
  
• A poster for the movie being released for Christmas 1974 promised "A Christmas Present From James Bond". The present was, as the ad read: "A solid gold fountain pen that screws into the body of a gold cigarette lighter. A gold cigarette case that is snapped into place to form a handle. A solid gold cuff link that becomes the trigger. A single gold bullet that is placed in the chamber". The present of course was the Golden Gun. And the poster's tagline then read: "The Man With The Golden Gun Is Ready To Assassinate James Bond".
  
  
• The literal translations of some of this film's foreign language titles include 007 Against The Man With The Golden Gun (Brazil); The Man With The Golden Colt (Germany); 007 And The Golden Gun (Finland) and 007 Versus The Golden Gun (China)
  
  
• Vehicles featured included various American Motors cars including two American Motors Cassini (AMC) Coupés, a red 1974 AMC Hornet X Hatchback Special Coupé which performs the spiral loop jump and a brown and gold 1974 AMC Matador X Coupé which became a car-plane which was based on the Aerocar International's Aerocar or Taylor Aerocar; a fleet of green Peninsula Hotel Rolls Royce Silver Shadows; a Cairo Taxi; an MGB; Mercedes-Benz 240D; Longtail Boats riding the Bangkok floating market's canals and waterways known as the Klongs; Scaramanga's diesel-engine Chinese Junk; a Republic RC-3 SeaBee seaplane; and a Hong Kong Harbour Patrol Boat.
  
  
• The Bangkok canals and waterways seen in this movie are known as the Klongs.
  
  
• "The Man With The Golden Gun" was the thirteenth and final complete James Bond novel written by Ian Fleming. It was the first and only one of his full James Bond novels to be published posthumously. Some sources claim that it was unfinished at the time of his death whereas other experts such as Andrew Lycett and John Cork maintain that Fleming had completed it before he died. It is of controversial debate as to whether Fleming wrote the novel completely himself or whether other(s) were involved.
  
  
• The source of the name "Scaramanga" originates in the name of a man that James Bond creator Ian Fleming knew called Pandia Scaramanga. He had met him and stayed at his house on the island of Hydra in the Greek isles. Reportedly, Fleming sought permission from him to use his surname, indicating that he would be James Bond's adversary in "The Man With The Golden Gun". The real Scaramanga apparently responded: "I certainly do not mind you using my name but please do not to kill me."
  
  
• According to British production designer, Peter Murton, the sequence where Scaramanga's car transforms into a light airplane was accomplished in the editing room. Wings were attached to the actual car and a stuntman drove the carplane to the runway. At this point the film editor simply cut to a radio-controlled model built by John Stears.
  
  
• Last James Bond movie to be directed by Guy Hamilton.
  
  
• This is the James Bond movie which it is said that the partnership between Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli is said to have deteriorated. Roger Moore has said in his DVD audio-commentary that this predominantly occurred behind closed doors.
  
  
• In earlier versions of the script, the character of Nick Nack played by Hervé Villechaize was originally called Demi Tasse and Hai Fat had a business partner called Lo Fat, a character which was scrapped.
  
  
• The cork-screw car jump was apparently conceived years before the movie went into production. The producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli allegedly took out patents and copyrights on the stunt as they did not wish it to appear in another movie before they had used it. The 360-degree car-spiraling jump over a canal was performed in just one take by uncredited British stuntman 'Bumps' Williard as 8 cameras simultaneously captured the spectacle. So potentially hazardous was nature of the stunt, divers, ambulances and cranes were on standby alert in case of any catastrophic consequences. The stunt was so rapid that the film is shown in slow motion. Williard was given a large bonus for completing the jump on the first take. The jump is also credited with being the first stunt ever to be calculated by computer modeling.
  
  
• According to the Inside 'The Man with the Golden Gun' (2000) (V) documentary on the DVD version of this movie, during production on the fifth James Bond film You Only Live Twice (1967), producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman had originally intended for this film to be the sixth entry in the Bond series. It was to be shot in Cambodia and Roger Moore was considered to fill Sean Connery's shoes as the second James Bond. However, the Vietnam War caused the producers to change plans and pick On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) as the sixth Bond film instead.
  
  
• Eleventh James Bond film and the ninth in the EON Productions official film series. Second James Bond film to star Roger Moore as James Bond, the 11th to feature Bernard Lee as M and Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny and the 9th to feature Desmond Llewelyn as Q.
  
  
• J W Pepper (Clifton James) is a sheriff from Louisiana that James Bond met in Live and Let Die (1973). While chasing Scaramanga, Bond teams up with Pepper, who is on holidays in Thailand. Apparently, when Pepper first sees Bond riding past in a boat, the music from Live and Let Die (1973) can be heard.
  
  
• The spiral "Javelin Jump" was performed by a modified 1974 Hornet X: special suspension, a six cylinder engine (for reduced weight), centered steering wheel, and a special fuel system to stop the car stalling when turning over.
  
  
• Alice Cooper's "Muscle of Love" album has a song "Man With the Golden Gun" on it. The CD version includes notes claiming it was to be the theme song of the movie, but the producers chickened out.
  
  
• First James Bond movie to be shown at the Kremlin. According to Roger Moore in his audio commentary, apparently when the movie had finished, one Russian official turned around and said we didn't train him [Scaramanga] very well. The Scaramanga character in the James Bond universe was recruited by and acted as a hit-man for the KGB.
  
  
• This is the last Bond film to be shot/shown in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio.
  
  
• Harry Saltzman sold his shares of 007 to alleviate the very large financial difficulties he was in. He sold his 50% share in the Bond franchise to United Artists.
  
  
• This movie sees two Swedish actresses: Maud Adams (Scaramanga's mistress) and Britt Ekland (Mary Goodnight). Adams would later star in Octopussy (1983) (as the title character) with two other Swedish actresses (Kristina Wayborn and Mary Stavin) and appear yet again in A View to a Kill (1985) as an extra. On top of that, Stavin also makes an appearance in A View to a Kill (1985).
  
  
• Harry Saltzman wanted an elephant stampede in the movie so Bond and Scaramanga could chase each other on elephant back. The rest of the creative team balked at the idea, but Saltzman went to see an elephant trainer. It turns out that elephants need a special shoe on their feet to protect them from rough surfaces when they work. A few months later, while filming in Thailand, Albert R. Broccoli got a call saying his elephant shoes were ready. Saltzman had ordered about 2,600 pairs of them. The sequence was not in the movie, but the man who made the shoe had not been paid. As of 1990, EON production still owed him.
  
  
• Last Bond film to be co-produced by Harry Saltzman.
  
  
• One of the lowest-grossing Bond films. That fact, combined with behind-the-scenes problems, nearly made this the final Bond film, and delayed production of the next entry in the series, The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).
  
  
• Final film of Richard Loo.
  
  
• Long-time DP Ted Moore quit halfway through the production, either through illness or disagreements with the producers depending on who you ask. Ernest Day acted as DP for about a week before Oswald Morris came on board (though none of the footage shot by Day made it into the final film).
  
  
• In the fight in the dancer's dressing-room, Roger Moore sprays one of the villains in the face with an aerosol can of what is clearly Brut-33, a nod to the Fabergé company with which Moore was associated.
  
  
• In Scaramanga's fun-house, there is a mask on the wall in the form of a caricature of Frank Morgan's face as the Wizard of Oz.
  
  
• When Bond says, "The energy crisis is still with us," to M, that had a lot of truth to it. Britain had not yet overcome the oil crisis of 1973, as it had not yet had North Sea oil and gas flowing through its pipelines
  
  
• The island used as filming location for the Scaramanga's beach house (Phang Nga Bay, Thailand) is known as "James Bond Island".
  
  
• The Golden Gun consisted of a number of gold components from Pistols Scaramanga's personal effects. These included: A gold 15 x 1.5 cm fountain pen which became the gun barrel; a 8 x 4 cm gold cigarette lighter which formed the hammer and bullet chamber; a 10 x 6 cm gold cigarette case doubled as the gun's magazine hand grip (or gun butt or handle); whilst a solid gold cuff link from his shirt cuff was adjoined to the cigarette case turned into the gun's trigger. In the movie, custom made 23 carat golden bullets with nickel trace elements were manufactured for the gun by Eastern expert Portugese gunsmith Lazar.
  
  
• In both the source novel and this film, the Scaramanga character has an additional nipple which in reality can be a real biological occurrence. It is known as a supernumerary nipple but can also be called an accessory nipple or third nipple. The medical name for such can be either polythelia or polymastia. In this movie though, it is referred to as a superfluous papilla. In the James Bond parody movie Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), the Goldmember character also has a third nipple.
  
  
• Product placements, brand integrations and promotional tie-ins for this movie include American Motors Company (AMC); Dom Perignon Champagne; The Bottoms Up Club, Hong Kong; Sony; The Peninsula Hong Kong Hotel; Nikon; Moët; The Floating Macau Palace; Tabasco Sauce; Rolex Watches, James Bond wears a Rolex Submariner 5513; Dunlop; Pepsi and Guinness Beer.
  
  
• Director Guy Hamilton has stated that the Nick Nack was intended as being a miniature version of the Oddjob character (they both wear black bowler-style hats)from Goldfinger (1964), a film he also directed. Nick Nack was the first villain (but a henchman) in the EON Production official series whose fate was to be captured.
  
  
• Whilst shooting in Thailand, the cast and crew were unwittingly housed in a bordello.
  
  
• "The Man with the Golden Gun" was the last novel Ian Fleming wrote. The film bears virtually no relation to the book, other than the name of Scaramanga, his third nipple, his golden gun and his occupation as an assassin. Even the locale was shifted from Jamaica, as that location had already been used for Dr. No (1962) and Live and Let Die (1973). Scaramanga was changed from an American hood into a more urbane methodical assassin, more akin to Bond himself.
  
  
• The original plan was to shoot in Iran. This was partly inspired by Albert Lamorisse's film Le ballon rouge (1956). Iran declaring war on Israel was an instrumental reason in calling off the idea of filming there. Southeast Asia was the new location chosen.
  
  
• Travelling to Los Angeles for the Johnny Carson show to promote the film, Christopher Lee had his golden gun confiscated by US customs.
  
  
• The secret headquarters for MI6 in Hong Kong Harbour was the wreck of the real life ship RMS Queen Elizabeth. The vessel had actually however been renamed before the time of filming and was known as the Seawise University.
  
  
• Britt Ekland stated she was terrified when they shot the scenes of Roger Moore and her escaping from Scaramanga's island. There is one particular shot where the pair of them are running, she slides to the floor, and Roger grabs her by the arm to hoist her back up; according to her that wasn't acting.
  
  
• Filming began on November 6, 1973 with a double filling in for Roger Moore who wasn't scheduled to begin shooting until April, 1974.
  
  
• The Royal World Premiere of The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) was held on Thursday 19th December 1974 at the Odeon Theatre, Leicester Square, London in the presence of Prince Philip who was the Guest of Honour.
  
  
• The first line of the Ian Fleming James Bond "The Man with the Golden Gun" novel read: "The Secret Service holds much that is kept secret even from very senior officers in the organization."
  
  
• The last line of the Ian Fleming James Bond "The Man with the Golden Gun" novel read: "At the same time, he knew, deep down, that love from Mary Goodnight, or from any other woman, was not enough for him. It would be like taking 'a room with a view'. For James Bond, the same view would always pall."
  
  
• This solar energy crisis themed James Bond movie would be the last environmentally themed Bond film until Quantum of Solace (2008).
  
  
• Later after both "The Man with the Golden Gun" novel was published and this movie was made, two James Bond novels were written with similar title prefixes beginning "The Man..." . These are 1991's "The Man From Barbarossa" by John Gardner and 2002's "The Man with the Red Tattoo" by Raymond Benson.
  
  
• A number of other movie and TV episode titles have "golden gun" type phraseology forming their titles either before or after this movie was made. These include The Legend of the Golden Gun (1979) (TV); "Colt .45: The Golden Gun (#1.20)" (1958); Man with the Golden Pistol [See: L'uomo dalla pistola d'oro (1966)]; Ringo and His Golden Pistol [See: Johnny Oro (1966)]; Angels with Golden Guns [See: Anger (1988)]; "Bonanza: The Gold-Plated Rifle (#12.16)" (1971); "The Golden Shot" (1967); "Gameshow Marathon: The Golden Shot (#1.3)" (2005) and The Golden Bullet (1917).
  
  

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